Devotion
God Can Bring Good Out Of Evil
Frances Taylor
Envy can lead to so much evil. In this story of Joseph and his brothers, we see where jealousy can lead. Only one of Joseph's brothers is bothered by plans to kill him, but wasn't there when they decided to sell him into slavery. And think of Israel when he received Joseph's coat returned to him bloodied as though he had been devoured by wild beasts. Envy and jealousy can lead to evil today as well. Families can be torn apart because someone feels slighted. In the story of Joseph, God does not let it end with him as a slave. Because of the actions of his brothers in selling him and his being taken into Egypt, when famine hit the area where Israel lived with his other children, they were able to come into Egypt and prosper. When bad things happen, God can bring light into the situation if we are open to him. But God can bring good out of bad situations in so many different ways. In times of crises, people band together to help one another, bringing strangers together who might never have met. People find wells of strength they never knew they had. We learn two lessons from this story of Joseph. Let us keep envy out of our hearts, and know that God is with us to bring good into any situation.
Prayer
Lord, may my heart always be open to you, thanking you for the gifts I have and not be envious of those who appear to have more, trusting that you are with me no matter what. Amen.
Night Prayer
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Inspiration
We despise the thought of a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. The outside is easy to clean; it's the caked-up residue on the inside that's so difficult to remove. Jesus compares the scribes and Pharisees with dishes that have been wiped clean on the outside while dirty inside. The Pharisees took exceptional care of their outward appearance and neglected their inward spirits. We are guilty of allowing our hearts to be left filthy as well. We look and act as we should while our souls are full of darkness. We must continue to converse with the Holy Spirit daily and trust His guidance to cleanse our sinful nature.
Prayer
Dear God, Please forgive our sinful nature. We yearn for cleansing from within, so we are genuine witnesses to Your name. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
